At last the long journey was over and the train came to a stop at a little country platform. The boys and girls jumped down from their carriages and ran to take their places in two coaches.
“Let’s look out for the first glimpse of Whyteleafe School!” said Elizabeth, as the coaches rumbled off. “Oh, look-there it is! Isn’t it lovely!” The children stared up the hill on the top of which was their school. All of them were glad to see it again. Here and there the creeper up the walls was beginning to turn red, and the windows shone in the autumn sun.
Through an enormous archway rumbled the coaches, and up to the front door, Elizabeth remembered the first time she had arrived there, five months before, at the beginning of the summer term. How she had hated it! Now she was glad to jump down the coach-steps with the other children and race into the school.
She looked round for the new girls and boy. She saw them standing rather forlornly together, wondering where to go. Elizabeth took Joan’s arm. “Let’s go and look after the new ones,” she said, “They’re looking a bit lost.” “Right!” said Joan, and they went up to the three children, They were all about eleven or twelve years old, though the boy was big for his age.
“Come with us and we’ll show you where to wash, and where to go for dinner,” said Elizabeth, They all looked at her gratefully. Rita, the Head Girl, came by just then, and beamed at Elizabeth.
“So you’ve taken the new-corners under your wing,” she said. “I was just coming to see about them. Good! Thanks, Elizabeth and Joan!” “That’s the Head Girl,” said Elizabeth to the boy and two girls. “And look-that’s William, our Head Boy, They’re both fine. Come on, I’ll show you the cloakrooms and we can all wash,” Off they all went, and were soon washing and drying themselves in the big cloakroom downstairs. Then into the dining-hall they went, hungry as hunters, How glad they were to smell a good stew, and see the carrots and onions floating in it! “It’s grand to be back again!” said Elizabeth, looking happily round, and smiling at all the faces she knew. “I wonder what adventures we’ll have this term.” “Perhaps we shan’t have any,” said Joan, But she was wrong, Plenty of things were going to happen that term! SETTLING DOWN.
Everything soon settled down. Except for a few new children, the girls and boys were the same as the term before.
Some had gone up into a higher form, and felt rather grand for the first few days. The new boy and two new girls were all in Elizabeth’s form, Miss Ranger took down their names: “Jennifer Harris, Kathleen Peters, Robert Jones.” Jennifer was a jolly-looking girl, with straight hair cut short, and a thick fringe. Her brown eyes twinkled, and the other girls felt that she would be good fun.
Kathleen Peters was a pasty-faced girl, very plain and spotty. Her hair was greasy-looking, and she had a very unpleasant expression, almost a scow!. Nobody liked her at all, those first few days.
Robert Jones was a big boy for his age, with a rather sullen face, though when lie smiled he was quite different.
“I don’t like Robert’s mouth, do you?” said Joan to Elizabeth, “His lips are so thin and pursed up. He doesn’t look very kind,” “Oh well, we can’t help our mouths!” said Elizabeth, “I think you’re wrong there,” said Joan, “I think people make their own faces, as they grow.” Elizabeth laughed. “Well, it’s a pity poor Kathleen Peters didn’t make a better face for herself,” she said, “Sh!” said Joan, “She’ll hear!” The first week went by slowly. New books were given out, and lovely new pencils and pens. The children were given their places in class, and Joan and Elizabeth sat next to one another, much to their delight. They were by the window and could see out into the flowery garden.
Any child who wanted to could help in the garden, John Terry was willing to give anyone a patch, providing they would promise to keep it properly. These little patches, backing on to an old sunny wall, were interesting little spots. Some children liked to grow salads, some grew flowers, and one child, who loved roses better than anything, had six beautiful rose-trees and nothing else.
Elizabeth didn’t want a patch. She wanted to help John in the much bigger garden of which he was in charge. She was longing to make plans with him about it. She had all kinds of ideas about gardens, and had read her gardening book from end to end twice during the holidays.
The children were allowed to have their own pets, though not dogs or cats, as these were too difficult to deal with, and could not be kept in cages. Some children had rabbits, some had guinea-pigs, a few had fantail pigeons that lived in a big pigeon-house on a pole, and one or two had canaries or goldfish. It was fun having pets. Not all the children kept them-only those who were fond of animals or birds. The pets were kept in a big airy shed not far from the srab~ es where the horses were kept that the children were allowed to ride.
Hens and ducks were kept, of course, and although these belonged to the school, any child who wished, could help to care for them and feed them. There were three beautiful Jersey cows in the meadow, too, and one girl and boy milked these every day. They had to be up early in the morning, but they didn’t mind at all. It was fun! Jennifer Harris had some pets. They were small white mice, and she was very fond of them indeed. They were kept in a big cage, and she cleaned it out every day, so that it was spotless. No one else had white mice at that time, and Elizabeth and Joan went with Jennifer to see them.
“Aren’t they sweet?” said Jennifer, letting a mouse run up her sleeve. “Do you see their pink eyes? Elizabeth, would you like to let that one run up your sleeve? It’s such a lovely feeling” “Well, I don’t think I will, thank you,” said Elizabeth politely. “It may be a lovely feeling to you, but it might not be for me.” “Hallo! Are these your white mice, Jennifer?” asked Harry, coming up. “I say, aren’t they lovely? Golly- you’ve got one peeping out from your neck-did you know?” “Oh yes,” said Jennifer, “Take it, Harry. It will run up your sleeve and come out at your neck, too.” Sure enough it did! It ran up the boy’s sleeve, and soon its tiny nose was peeping out behind his collar, Joan shivered.
“I really don’t think I could bear that,” she said, The bell rang and the mice were hurriedly put back into their cage. Joan ivent to have a last peep at her two rabbits. They were fat and contented. She shared them with Elizabeth and was very fond of them indeed, Tea-time and supper-time the first week were lovely, because the children were allowed to take what they liked from their tuck-boxes. How they enjoyed the cakes, sandwiches, sweets, chocolates, potted meat, and jams they brought back with them! Everybody shared, though the new boy, Robert, didn’t look too pleased about it, and Elizabeth noticed that Kathleen Peters did not offer any of her sweets round, though she shared her potted meat readily enough.
Elizabeth remembered how selfish she had been about sharing her own things at the beginning of her first term, so she held her tongue and said nothing.
“I can’t very well blame other people for a thing I’ve done myself,” she thought. “I’m jolly glad I’m different now!” The big happening of each week was the School Meeting. The whole school attended, and any of the masters and mistresses who wished to, The two head-mistresses, Miss Belle and Miss Best, always came, and Mr. Johns usually came too. But they sat at the back, and did not take any part in the Meeting unless the children called upon them for help.
It was a kind of school Parliament, where the children made their own rules, heard grumbles and complaints, judged one another, and punished bad behaviour.
It was not pleasant to have one’s faults brought before the whole school and dismissed, but on the other hand it was much better for everyone to know their own failings and have them brought out into the open, instead of fearing them and keeping them secret, so that they grew bigger. Many a child had been cured for always of such things as cheating or lying by having the sympathy and help of the whole school, The first School Meeting was held about a week after school began. The girls and boys filed into the gym, where a big table had been placed for the twelve monitors, who were the Jury. These had been chosen at the Inst Meeting of the summer term, and would remain monitors for a month, when they could either be chosen again, or others put into their place.